“You looking for this?” Rye held it up. The bag swung in the sway of the jeep as Elijah dodged an abandoned car in the middle of the road.
“Give it here.” I held my arm out, knowing I couldn’t struggle with him for it.
“Why do you need it? It’s not up to you to distribute it.” His eyes stared at the pack, filled with a dark sadness. “It should’ve been incinerated with the rest of them.”
“Give it to me, or I swear to God I’m going to deck you.” My nostrils flared, and I shot him a daring look. If he thought questioning me now was a good idea, I didn’t care how much it would hurt, I’d make him hurt along with me. “Rye….”
The pain flashed in his eyes momentarily before he lifted his chin and composed his features. Solemnly, he held the pack out for me to take, which I snatched and gripped onto like a treasure.
“You’ll find nothing but trouble in those vials.”
“It’s my trouble to find.”
“I just don’t get it. Why try to save the world?”
“So optimistic, aren’t you, Rye.” I looked back out the window, the arid landscape flew by, and I let the conversation die. Even when Rye tried to ask me if I was in pain, his question went nowhere, for I refused to answer any more of them. I was lost in my thoughts, a plan forming within.
We arrived at Blaze’s hive where the four of us had taken up residence. Even though I wondered why Blaze wasn’t with them, I didn’t have to think on it much when I saw him waiting at the entrance for us, looking relieved but reserved. He’d left, I could already figure out that he’d had little faith Rye and the others would find me. Exiting the Jeep took some effort, but Elijah lifted me into his arms without even asking and carefully carried me into the underground headquarters of Blaze’s hive. I hid my anger as we passed Blaze, too tired and in too much pain to start something.
To my relief, Jeremy was safe in the City of Vida. I didn’t want him to see me in such a ragged state. I’d rather he not see how weak I’d turned out to be or what I’d put myself through for our future. He didn’t need to know such things.
Once in the infirmary, Elijah left with Sarah, laughing together, finally relaxed after the ordeal we’d faced. Rye, of course, stayed behind, sitting on the bed next to mine until the doctor checked me out, stitched me up, and notified me of a continued pneumothorax, a pocket of air between my chest wall and lung, but that he would just put me on an oxygen mask for a day to reverse it. I let him affix the mask—a plastic contraption with a plastic bag dangling from it—to my face. The hiss of oxygen drowned out any conversation I could have or listen to, so I closed my eyes, hoping that made it clear enough to Rye that I wanted to be alone. Once the doctor left with the vials to refrigerate them—after much protesting on my end, he’d agreed to give me the key to the mini-fridge he’d stick them in—all I wanted was silence.
But Rye didn’t leave. Instead, he took up his silent vigil in the bed beside me and let me rest. At least this time he knew better than to push me. I couldn’t be less uncooperative, so it suited me fine. I pulled the thin sheet up to my chin and turned, staring up at the IV inserted into my arm. It had blood dripping into the saline solution, and I had noticed a slight shift in the way my body felt. Still, I knew it wasn’t a full transfusion. And it was human blood, not vampire, but any little bit would help.
With the sweet nectar dripping into my vein, morphine circling in my head and the constant whoosh of the oxygen mask, I let my eyes flutter shut until I couldn’t fight the lethargy anymore. Sleep was a lover gone far too long, demanding its overdue embrace.
Chapter Seventeen
Running
The tarmac was a graveyard. Weeds strangled the asphalt and slipped through the cracks that had formed under the deteriorating runways. There was no movement in the blinding daylight, but these were the hours I liked best.
The horizon displayed an array of neglected buildings on The Strip which were bleached white from the unrelenting sun. It made everything look brighter than it used to, a long time ago. At the same time, if one looked closer, it made the vegetation pop out even more. It crawled up the sides of the buildings, choking the cement and beauty away from what used to be.
I was sitting in the highest tower of the air traffic control building. It gave me a 360-degree view of the entire valley, for the most part. The distant mountains looked like far-off massive peaks of rock. Peering across the runways, I stared at the distant Red Rock Mountains with a somber mood. What had happened to Christian and his hive? If I’d been awake during the escape, I would have known for sure, and this wouldn’t have been my worry. I’d blown up the place. It was what I’d wanted… to finish the deed, severe these bonds and finally feel safer. It had been the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rid the valley of Mercer’s evil and possible future retaliation.
I just hadn’t thought about how lost I’d feel at losing Christian. It was so final, a strange feeling.
It made me seethe as I ground my teeth, my jaw tense and sore from the tension. There was nowhere for me to go that I felt right or happy anymore. Even visiting Jeremy in the City of Vida, run by the few of the original twelve who had decided to stay to keep it going after Katrina died, couldn’t keep me in any better spirits. I was restless, agitated in my own skin. I jumped up from my seat to walk the length of the tower. I hated sitting still. I felt like I was suffocating, but I didn’t know how to make it better.
Christian’s death was just a catalyst. I freed myself of one jam only to find myself searching for another mess.
What was out there? What was left of the world now that the vampires had ravaged the human population down to nothing? Was there any kind of normal left? Besides the City of Vida, there were no signs of humans anywhere else in the valley.
The small seed of hope had been planted in me when Rick told me of the antidote. If I could find someone I could trust to reproduce it, maybe I could help people become human again. But who could I trust? Not Rick, he was probably dead with the rest of them anyway. He’d been Mercer’s rat and untrustworthy. Not Blaze’s chemist, who only knew rudimentary things about science and hematology. Who then?
I knew the answer before I even realized it. I’d have to leave the city. There was nothing left for me in Las Vegas. There was an entire world out there to explore, to discover, to help if I could. There had to be more people out there somewhere, scientifically inclined people who could reproduce the antidote, even perfect it, right? I had to take the chance and find a way out of there before I went mad and I could no longer tolerate my own insanity.
Jeremy would forgive me for leaving, even though I intended to return. That was for certain. I just had to let him know that I would never forget him and I was doing this for us, for our future. If, by chance, I didn’t return, I’d have to make sure he knew how I felt about him. My little brother was now living a life that suited him well, but it had left me out in the cold. He’d understand if I said goodbye, just in case.
I left the tower and descended back into the underground fortress. I was going to pack up to go visit Jeremy and then hit up my car, stashed in Vida’s expansive underground garage, and leave this place for a good long while.
I was just hoping I wouldn’t run into Rye on the way out.
~~~~~
“Where are you running off to?” Sarah was sitting at the edge of my bed in the private room I’d been given within the commander’s corridor of Blaze’s hive. I’d walked into my room to find her there, as if she had already read my mind. Her stuff was packed and ready at her feet. Damn if the hybrid effect hadn’t made her intuitive in more ways than one. It was scary, actually, but I had to grin slightly at her challenge.
I didn’t say anything and went on to stuff my own things in my bag and strap on as many weapons as I could carry. I looked like I was ready for combat, but whatever I took would be all I had, so I had to take almost everything.
It was comforting to know I wasn’t alone on this quest. Luckily, some thi
ngs never changed between friends. She could always read me, and I her. She waited quietly as I finished packing some clothes and whatever food stores I had in the room before I lifted it onto my back and gave her a nod. She joined me without a word, and we headed out into the halls of the hive.
I had to leave quickly, while the daylight kept the activity at a low. Rye and Blaze were elsewhere, probably still in their chambers asleep or conducting important hive business in the main area. We all had our own sleep quarters. It was better that way. Even though Rye had wanted to share one with me, I couldn’t give up the chance for privacy, something I dearly needed in such a large hive.
“April?” Sarah’s voice broke through my thoughts.
“Yeah?” Our footsteps were light on the cement floor. We could wake anyone at any time, especially once we left the hall.
“Don’t be mad, but Elijah’s coming, too.”
I stopped in my tracks and turned toward her. If looks could kill, that would have been it for Sarah. “What? Why did you tell him?”
“He understands us more than you know. Besides, he’s good in combat, and we could use more than just the two of us.”
I sighed, not willing to argue. She had a point, but still, I couldn’t stand not being included.
“Where’s he at?”
“He’s our getaway driver.” She giggled at this, but she immediately stifled it as I shushed her. Of course she would find this funny.
“Not funny.”
“Lighten up, April, it’s hilarious. We can pretend we’re bank robbers or are getting away with murder.”
“That never sounded fun to me.”
“Oh, come on!” Sarah let out a breath. Maybe she was already regretting coming with me.
“I’m serious. This is a serious mission.” I went into the infirmary, quiet and empty at this hour, and headed straight for the vaccine fridge. Luckily, the antidote could be left at room temperature, but Rick had told me that keeping it cool made it last longer. I had a little cooler to stuff it into, and I plucked cooling packs from the freezer to throw in as well. I grabbed the vials and placed then into the portable cooler, zipping it up and clutching it to my chest like precious cargo. It would warm up after a while, but it would at least keep them longer than using nothing at all.
“Okay, let’s go.” I started for the hall but stopped. “Wait.”
Sarah turned a puzzled face to me, her eyes widening as comprehension passed across her face.
“I need to get Randy. He can’t stay here alone. If we find someone to perfect the cure, he’s the one we need to make sure it works.”
She nodded and pointed toward the back of the infirmary, where a locked door stood alone against the stark white of the wall. I walked to it and peered inside. It was another room with two cells inside and a desk on the other side of it. The hive’s doctor, John, sat at the desk, meticulously jotting down notes in a huge ledger. I knocked on the window, and he stood up and opened the door.
“How can I help you, April? Your ribs feeling okay?”
I nodded, stepping into the small room. It was an observation room connected to the cell where Randy lay sleeping on a thin mattress. “I’m good, John. Just need to take my friend with me.”
He looked hesitant, narrowing his eyes as he thought my request over. I could see scenarios playing out in his mind as he thought about what to do. When I thought he was about to protest, he cleared his throat and held out a key on a ring.
“He’s still very much in tune with the feral circadian rhythms and vulnerable during daylight. I have a bad feeling that the vaccine is not permanent, so I do advise extreme caution when the night approaches.”
“Thank you, John.” I took the key and paused, confused by his immediate cooperation. “Why would you let him go so easily?”
John scratched his dark hair and sighed, looking tired. “He had a rough night. Restless. None of the sedatives I gave him worked. I’m afraid there’s nothing more I can do for him. I’m afraid he’ll regress back to his feral ways unless you fix that vaccine of yours. As a doctor, letting him go so he can find better treatment is the best thing I can do.” He reached out and placed a gentle grip on my arm. “Do be cautious. During the daytime, he’s harmless. But I can’t guarantee your safety at night.”
I nodded. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”
I unlocked the cell, and Sarah helped me drag Randy out. He woke up a bit, but only enough to step along with our help. He was so groggy, we had to steer him as we hurried out.
We scurried the rest of the way down the hall and out toward the exit doors. I knew the moment we walked out, we might be reported to Blaze. But Elijah was already chatting it up with the gate guards and they were laughing like the best friends that they were. Most likely, he had smoothed the path for a clean escape, and we walked past him and out into the arid, warm late morning of Las Vegas. We jumped into the awaiting Jeep we’d stolen from Christian’s compound, and I was impressed to find it full of gas and stuffed with food. Maybe Sarah’s intuition went a lot further than I thought. I gave her a funny look, and she returned it with a happy, toothy grin.
She’s scary. That is all.
We stuffed Randy into one of the back seats where he snored softly and shied away from the light of the sun. I remedied that by draping a dark shirt over the window, anchoring it with the window itself. I jumped into the driver’s seat, slammed the door and got ready to crank the engine, but I didn’t find any keys. Elijah opened the door and glared at me. “Move over, I’m driving.”
“Says who?”
His face didn’t move, but instead, he waited until I complied. Sighing, I slipped into the passenger side without any further argument.
“We have to visit Vida really quick. I have to say goodbye to Jeremy.”
He nodded and shifted the Jeep into gear. Sarah sat in the back seat and stared at Randy, eyeing him up and down to make sure he wasn’t about to pounce on her before she clicked her seatbelt on and leaned back in her seat. As we maneuvered out through the gate of the hive, I looked back, knowing I’d probably never see it again. A flood of sadness filled my stomach, enough to jerk my eyes back to the road in front. Rye was back there. He may have been a bit overbearing, but I did love him, and leaving without a goodbye was going to gnaw at me forever. Still, if I didn’t do this, I’d continue to regret not at least trying to get the vaccine fixed. Which was worse? Could I give up on love, or could I give up on a promise for a better life? Neither felt like a good choice to give up on. I couldn’t win.
So I did what any girl should do when faced with such a difficult decision. I shoved it so far down, it became an afterthought, a forgotten memory. Out of sight, out of mind. It wasn’t right, and it wasn’t what a good girl would do, but it was all I could manage to keep the fragile cracks in my heart from splitting open and pouring out the blood within. I needed to bottle it up, tuck it away and forget it even existed. If I ever saw Rye again, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe he could forgive me. But like so many other things in my life, I had a feeling it would come and bite me on the ass. Until then, I’d cope by avoiding the topic at all costs. Swallow that puppy down and hope I didn’t choke on it.
We pulled up to the City of Vida and entered quietly, in a slow rush that made me sweat as I thought about saying goodbye to my only living relative. It was the right thing to do, leaving him here. He wouldn’t be happy on the road with me, let alone safe. Here, he’d have everything he’d dreamt of when we were stuck underground in our bunker, with just me and my mother for company. He had his companions who were fun and exciting to be with. He had an adoptive mother of sorts who loved him as her own. He had food, shelter… safety. What more could I have asked for him? Not much, except to be with him, too.
As we reached the row of “houses” which were just apartments along one of the city’s long hallways, I swallowed back the lump forming in my throat. They’d done loads to spruce it up, covering the whitewashed look Katrina had mai
ntained and exchanging it for colorful paintings made by the city’s residents. All down the halls were drawings of rainbows, graffiti, sadness, laughing, hearts and flowers… anything you could think of. There were walls of hands painted on by toddlers, children and the elderly. Here was the life he needed. Here was where our paths split. I only prayed those paths would intersect again.
Jeremy was in his new family’s apartment, where he had his own room. He and his adoptive brother, Leo, were playing a video game. They were yelling at the screen but quieted down when Leo’s mother, Allie, opened the door for me. Elijah and Sarah waited in the hall, knowing that this was a private family moment. Allie and Leo excused themselves to go make lunch in their small kitchen. The place was cozy, quaint and lived in. The way life should be. An array of sports equipment filled baskets on the side of the couch, and the place smelled of delicious homemade food I hadn’t yet had the luxury to taste.
Jeremy played with the remote of his video game, pushing at the colored buttons and knobs as he avoided my gaze. He’d grown a foot in just a few months, and it made me want to pull him into a tight hug. Time was flying by too quickly.
“Hey, kiddo.”
“Hey.”
I slipped down onto the couch next to him and smiled, he’d grown so much in the days I hadn’t seen him. No one had told him of my ordeal, which was for the best. I didn’t want him worrying about me. Why should he worry when I was worlds away from the life he led now?
“Your hair needs a trim,” I said as I pushed a thick lock of his brown hair away. It refused to comply and flopped back into its original position. I stopped trying to tame it when he pulled away.
“Are you coming back?”
Shocked, I waited a moment before speaking. “Of course I’m coming back.”
“Where are you going?”
Jeremey wasn’t intuitive like Sarah, but he was way more intelligent than I gave him credit for.